Ball and disc valve assembly for a carburetor

ABSTRACT

An improved float valve for an automobile carburetor having an elongate body with a feed fuel passageway running coaxially into it from one end and a hollow opening into it from the other end. Retained within the hollow are a resilient disc and a ball. The passageway extends into the hollow through a tubular segment having a downstream mouth against which the disc fits to close the valve. The valve is actuated by a float lever arm acting on the disc through the ball and its body has fuel escape holes downstream of the passageway and beyond the reach of the disc or the ball.

United States Patent Harry Marloneaux 3020 Vine Street, Riverside,Calif. 92507 761,446

Sept. 23, 1968 June 8, 197 l lnventor Appl. No. Filed Patented BALL ANDDISC VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR A CARBURETOR 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 437/444, 137/449, 137/533.1 1, 251/333 Int. Cl Fl6k 31/26 Fieldof Search 137/442, 444, 449, 519.5, 533.! 1; 251/333, 334

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,269,406 8/1966 Grose l37/449X3,454,036 7/l969 Thompson l37/444X Primary Examiner-William F. ODeaAssistant Examiner-David R. Matthews Attorney-John H. Crowe ABSTRACT: Animproved float valve for an automobile carburetor having an elongatebody with a feed fuel passageway running coaxially into it from one endand a hollow opening into it from the other end. Retained within thehollow are a resilient disc and a ball. The passageway extends into thehollow through a tubular segment having a downstream mouth against whichthe disc fits to close the valve. The valve is actuated by a float leverarm acting on the disc through the ball and its body has fuel escapeholes downstream of the passageway and beyond the reach of the disc orthe ball.

BALL AND DISC VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR A CARBURETOR BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates generally to a liquid flow controlvalve of improved type, and more particularly to such a valve suitablefor use in controlling the fuel input to internal combustion enginecarburetor float chambers for maintenance of the proper fuel levelstherein.

As is well known among those skilled in the automotive arts, relativelyhigh input fuel pressures are common in present-day internal combustionengines. Such pressures have created an increasing need for dependablecarburetor float valves capable of efficient operation under the morerigorous conditions thereby obtaining, as compared to the conditionsunder which their earlier predecessors operated. ln this connection,needle valves have been heretofore employed almost exclusively as thevalve components of carburetor float valve assemblies, and it will beappreciated by those familiar with internal combustion engines that suchassemblies are employed to control carburetor float chamber fuel levels.It will also be apparent that proper maintenance of these fuel levels isof the utmost importance for the proper functioning of internalcombustion engines.

The typical needle valve has a body with an inlet fuel passageway incommunication with an enlarged hollow housing a plunger with a conicalend, or nose, positioned to move into, and out of, contact with a valveseat formed at the downstream end of the passageway. This valve seatcomprises an encircling rim of the downstream passageway opening, and issometimes sharp-edged and sometimes contiguous with a flare at the endof the defining wall of the passageway. The valve body and plunger aredesigned for installation in a carburetor float valve assembly so as topermit actuation of the plunger by a float in the carburetor floatchamber as the float moves up and down with the level of fuel in thechamber. The plunger is thus induced to move in such fashion as to urgeits conically shaped end in and out of the opening in the inlet fuelpassageway defined by the valve seat, thereby actuating the valvebetween closed and open positions, depending upon the fuel level in thefloat chamber.

In a conventional needle valve such as described above, the valve bodyand plunger are both of metal construction, with the result that thereis metal-to-metal contact between the conically shaped end of theplunger and the valve seat in the valve body when the valve is in itsclosed position. This is known to produce relatively rapid wear anddefonnation of the involved parts at their areas of contact,particularly under the high fuel pressure conditions existing inhigh-compression engines such as those found in most present-dayautomobiles. The resulting wear and tear on the needle valve partscauses early failure of the valves and constitutes a serious shortcomingof such valves, at least where employed as components of carburetorfloat valve assemblies.

In addition to the above-mentioned wear and deformation disadvantages ofconventional needle valves of the metal-tometal contact type, suchvalves are subject to plunger-valve seat misalignment as a result ofengine vibration, rough automobile travel, or other inducement, andconsequent leakage of fuel past the valve seat and into the floatchamber. Moreover, such valves are inherently vulnerable to leakagethrough the possibility of minute particles of dirt, or other foreignsubstances commonly found in engine fuels, becoming jammed between theirvalve seats and plungers in such a way as to prevent complete valveclosure. This leakage is detrimental since it can raise fuel levels incarburetor float chambers high enough to cause carburetor flooding andwasteful enrichment of air-fuel feed mixtures to automobile engines. Inaddition to being wasteful of fuel, such enrichment can result in enginestalling and/or starting difficulties.

Because of partial blocking of its valve seat opening by a portion ofthe conical tip of its plunger, between the fully open and fully closedpositions of the latter in a needle valve, it will be apparent that asubstantial lowering of the fuel level in a carburetor float chamber isrequired for maximum fuel flow through such a valve. As a result,engines having carburetors with needle valves are subject to loss ofefficiency at high speeds, where float chamber fuel levels arefrequently out of phase with maximum fuel flow through the valves. Theinability of carburetors to deliver proper amounts of fuel to enginesrunning at high speeds results not only in poor performance, but canlead to burnt valves and/or other engine damage.

Needle valves, by their nature, require valve seat openings ofrelatively large diameter to accommodate the conical noses of theirplungers as the latter move in and out of the openings during operationof the valves for fuel flow control purposes. As a result, the valveseat areas over which fuel pump pres sures operate are sufficientlygreat, in conventional needle valves, to prevent adequate valve closureagainst such pressures when the latter reach their higher levels andopposing fuel pump valves are incapable of "leaking back. Obviously, asignificant reduction in the valve seat area of a needle valve wouldreduce the total pressure on its plunger when the latter is in itsvalve-closed position, but such reduction is inconsistent with effectiveneedle valve design and manner of operation.

Various modifications of the conventional needle valve, as well asalternative valve structures of other types, have been proposes for usein carburetor float valve assemblies. All such modifications andalternative valve forms of which I am aware are purported to be absentcertain of the needle valve shortcomings discussed above by virtue ofpartial construction of a suitable resilient material to effectuatebetter sealing between the valve seat and a plunger, or equivalentmovable member, when the valve is closed; the inclusion of means topermit lateral movement of a sealing valve element to minimize thepossibility of valve part misalignment when the valve is closed (forcutting down leakage, etc.) No such substitute for the conventionalneedle valve is, however, at least insofar as l am aware, free of allthe above-noted disadvantages of the latter. Moreover, those needlevalve substitutes with which I am familiar all have one disadvantageousfeature in common with the conventional needle valve, namely, anelongate counterpart of the needle valve plunger, which moves slidablywithin a hollowed-out space in a valve body similarly to the way inwhich the plunger of the needle valve moves in such a space within itsown body. Inherent in any such arrangement, where an elongate membermoves slidably within a receptive hollow in a larger member, is theever-present possibility of the moveble member becoming stuck, orcocked, in a position of misalignment within the hollow, particularlywhere the involved assembly is subject to jarring, jostling, orvibrating impulses such as those to which carburetor float valves aresubjected in use as a result of engine vibration, vehicle shimmy fromany of various causes, etc.

The above-described condition of misalignment between an elongatemovable member and body member of a valve can cause valve leakage,whether or not the movable member has a tip, or detachable part,laterally, or otherwise, movable with respect to its remaining portion.In this connection, although elongate valve plungers having detachableforward portions, or forward portions containing captive sealingelements movable within limited spaces, are known, the parts of all suchplungers of which I am aware are fastened together for use and anyserious cocking of the body of a plunger of this type in a valve bodyhollow has the effect of throwing the plunger off center, so to speak,as a result of which properly directed pressure cannot be brought tobear on that part of the plunger in contact with a valve seat, and thevalve is therefore subject to leakage around at least part of its valveseat periphery, when the plunger is subjected to valve-closingactuation. ln short, no substitute for the conventional needle valveinherently free from the cocking defect peculiar to the use of anelongate movable member in the above-indicated manner has yet, to myknowledge, been proposed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The novel valve of this invention is uniquelydesigned to function in such fashion as to avoid all of the above-notedshortcomings of the conventional needle valve. The parts of the valveare of simple construction, and can be assembled for use at low cost toproduce a valve mechanism capable of trouble-free operation overextended periods of time. More specifically, these parts comprise avalve body having an inlet, or feed, liquid passageway and a hollow, ofsubstantially larger cross section than the passageway, disposed in opencommunication therewithin; a flat (preferably disc-shaped) sealingmember; and a ball constructed of a hard material suitably resistant toany liquid with which it might come into contact in use. The inletliquid passageway extends into the hollow through a cylindricalprojection from the innermost wall of the latter, which projectionterminates in a rim defining the forward, or downstream, opening of thepassageway. This rim serves as a valve seat against which the aforesaidsealing member is designed to fit for valve-closing purposes. Thesealing member and ball fit slidably within the hollow in the valvebody, with the sealing member disposed transversely thereacross in theproper position to fit flush against the valve seat, in perpendicularrelationship to the axis of the inlet liquid passageway when the valveis actuated to its closed position.

In its preferred form for carburetor float valve utility, my novel valveis of somewhat elongate form and the inlet liquid passageway, as well asthe hollow in which the sealing member and the ball are slidablydisposed, are of round cross section. The aforesaid passageway andhollow are concentrically disposed about, although partially offsetalong, a common axis. The sealing member is preferably a relatively flatdisc of a suitably fuel-resistant rubber, specific examples of whichwill later be given, sized to fit slidably within the cylindricallywalled hollow when disposed transversely thereacross in theabove-indicated position of use. The ball is, likewise, sized to fitslidably within the cylindrical hollow of the valve body.

The aforesaid ball is preferably solid, and of a hard, fuel-resistantmaterial such as a suitable steel or brass alloy, nylon, or the like.The hollow in the valve body in which the disc and the ball of the valvemechanism are slidably disposed has a mouth, or opening, at the end ofthe valve body opposite to its fuel inlet end. The positions of thesealing member and the ball within the hollow are such that the formeris disposed between the ball and the valve seat and valve-actuatingpressure can be brought to bear against the ball to force the sealingmember against the valve seat to close the valve. The rim of theopening, or mouth, of the aforesaid hollow is peened to provide aninturned lip therearound. The inturned lip defines an opening throughwhich the ball can partially extend, but not pass completely through.This lip serves to prevent escape of the ball from the hollow, whilepermitting sufficient freedom of movement of the ball forvalve-actuating purposes.

The axial distance within the aforesaid hollow between the valve seat atthe forward end of the cylindrical projection from its innermost walland the inturned lip around its mouth is sufficient to permit movementof the ball and sealing member between their valveopen and valve-closedpositions, as hereinafter described. When the valve is closed, thesealing member is in pressing contact with the aforesaid valve seat, andwhen it is open, that member is simply backed away from the valve seatto permit the unhindered flow of fuel through the liquid passagewayopening thereby exposed. As will be appreciated by those skilled in theart, there need be very little clearance between the valve seat andsealing member to permit such unhindered flow of fuel, since the instantthe latter moves away from sealing'contact with the valve seat, theentire area of the aforesaid opening is clear for the passage of fuel.

My novel carburetor valve is uniquely designed for minimal movement ofthe aforesaid sealing member between its valveopen and valve-closedpositions, consistent with quickresponse valve action for accurate floatchamber fuel level control and maximum capacity fuel flow through theinlet liquid passageway of the valve when the latter is in its wideopenposition. These objectives are readily achievable at relatively smalllimits of sealing member travel, by comparison with the much greatertravel distance of needle valve plungers between their positionalextremes.

As will be apparent from the above description of the body of my uniquecarburetor valve in its preferred form, there is an annular spacebetween the cylindrical wall of the ball-containing hollow and thecylindrical projection of the inlet liquid (or fuel) passagewaytherewithin, which runs from the valve seat at the downstream end of thepassageway to the bottom of the hollow. Equiangularly spaced around thevalve body, between the valve seat and the bottom of the ball-containinghollow therein, are a plurality of bore holes through the valve bodywall. These holes serve as bleed, or outlet, ports for the escape offuel passing through the valve from the hollow in the valve body intothe carburetor float chamber. Because of its short range of permissibletravel within the valve body hollow, the aforesaid sealing member runsno risk of getting stuck in a cocked position in the hollow to causemalfunctioning of the valve. In this connection, the sealing membersrange of movement is so limited that it does not have a chance to get anedge jammed in said annular space between the cylindrical projection ofthe inlet liquid passageway from the bottom of the valve body hollow andthe wall of said hollow, as could conceivably happen were the sealingmember permitted a greater latitude of travel.

In addition to the limited-sealing member-movement feature of my novelcarburetor valve in its preferred form, the valve has other featureswhich mitigate against any reasonable possibility of valvemalfunctioning as a result of cocking, or other displacement, of thesealing member within the valve body. For example, the relativediameters of the cylindrical projection of the inlet passageway and thevalve body hollow are such as to contribute significantly to that end.Furthermore, the aforesaid outlet ports in the valve body have theirinner openings sufficiently far removed from the downstream end of theinlet liquid passageway (in the upstream direction relative to thedirection of liquid flow through said passageway) to obviate anypossibility of sealing member edge tilt to the vicinity of such anopening during operation of the valve. Consequently, there is no chancefor the sealing member edge to catch on any minute burrs, or roughedges, around the openings and cause malfunctioning of the valve. Forthis reason, the sealing member can be cut with flat faces and a flatedge (with corners between the edge and the faces), rather than madewith a rounded edge (and no 90 corners) as would be necessary if therewere port openings in the wall of the valve body hollow within the reachof the sealing member edge to permit hangup between burrs therearoundand a sharp boundary of the edge. It is, however, as will be seen,within the scope of my invention to employ a disc with such a roundededge as the sealing member of the invention.

The novel valve of this invention, in its preferred form, is adapted foruse as a substitute for the conventional needle valve in a carburetorfloat valve assembly and, when so employed, is actuatable by the leverarm of a float similarly to the way in which a needle valve is actuated.Where the valve is thus employed, however, the float lever arm isrequired to travel only a fraction of the distance of travel foractuation of a conventional needle valve between its fully open andfully closed positions. As a result, my valve is much more rapidly andpositively responsive to minute changes of fuel level in a carburetorfloat chamber than is a needle valve, hence is much more effective thanthe latter in accurately maintaining the proper fuel level therein.

Because of the resilient character of the fuel-resistantrubber fromwhich the sealing member of my valve in its preferred form is made, thevalve can be effectively closed even when small particles of dirt, orthe like, are lodged between the sealing member and the valve seat, theresiliency of the rubber making it possible for the sealing member todeform itself in such fashion as to close off any gaps between it andthe valve seat which would be present, as a result of the obstructingdirt particles, were such resiliency lacking. Furthermore, the ballcomponent of the valve mechanism is, by virtue of its spherical shape,always properly centered within the valve body hollow to exert force atthe proper point on the sealing member to achieve most effective sealingcontact between it and the valve seat, when the valve is closed, and cannever become cocked, or misaligned, within its housing, as a result ofvibration, or other disturbing influence, to cause valve leakage, as canthe valve plunger of a conventional needle valve.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have, by the presentinvention, provided a unique valve, particularly adapted for use as acarburetor float valve, which is of simple construction, inexpensive toproduce, and capable of troublefree operation, minus the difficultiesattendant upon the use of conventional needle valves, or theirequivalents, in carburetor float valve assemblies. My novel valve isassembled from components of relatively simple design which cooperatewith smooth effectiveness to provide superior valve action absent theabove-mentioned disadvantages of leakage through mis' aligned ordirt-separated parts; undue wear on meeting parts (since there is nometaI-to-metal contact); etc.; of conventional needle valves. Moreover,because of the complete absence of obstruction in the valve seat openingof my valve body, when the sealing member is removed therefrom, asmaller opening suffices than is required for a conventional needlevalve, which latter has a part of its plunger nose projecting throughthe opening until the plunger has moved a substantial distance awaytherefrom. My smaller valve opening results in lower back pressures inthe closed valve than are present in a needle valve, thereby assuringmore effective valve closure, and avoiding the leakage problem to whichconventional needle valves are heir when fuel pump pressures are highand the pump valves are incapable of leaking back." The complete freeingof the valve seat opening of my new valve the instant the sealing membermoves away therefrom makes for instantaneous response to the fueldemands of automobiles moving at high speeds, and avoids the previouslymentioned "leaning out" problem encountered with conventional needlevalves because of the partial blocking of valve seat openings by theirplunger noses during periods of highspeed automobile driving.

It is thus a principal object of this invention to provide a valve ofsimplified construction and low manufacturing cost which is capable oftrouble-free operation over extended periods of time, and isparticularly suitable for use in carburetor float valve assemblies.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a valve capable oflong-life operation without leakage under all conditions of service andfuel pump pressures encountered in modem-day carburetors, and in thepresence of dirt-contaminated fuels such as are frequently found inthefuel pumps and gasoline tanks of today.

It is a related object of the invention to provide such a valveinherently free of the parts misalignment, and consequent leakage,tendency of conventional needle valves.

It is still another object of the invention to provide such a valveinherently capable of assuring substantially constant fuel levels incarburetor float chambers under all conditions of carburetor usage.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide such a valvesubstantially free of the parts wear and deformation, and consequentearly valve failure, characteristic of the conventional needle valve.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide improvedcarburetor float valve means capable of exerting adequately accurate andreliable fuel flow control for automobile engines, running or at rest,to obviate flooding danger and contribute to significantly moreefficient and economical engine operation.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent in the light of subsequent disclosures herein.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of anuncovered float chamber of a typical automobile carburetor with apreferred embodiment of a float valve in accordance with this inventioninstalled in operating position therein.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view, mostly in section, of the float chamberand valve, taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, drawn to a slightly smallerscale than FIG. 1, and showing a section of a carburetor cover in placeover the float chamber.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view, mostly in longitudinal section, of the valvein its closed position, showing, additionally, a fragmentary view, inlongitudinal section, of the lever arm of a float positioned in thefloat chamber in contact with the valve FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view ofthe valve and float lever arm, similar to the FIG. 3 view, but showingthe lever arm moved away from the valve and the latter in its openposition, and including directional arrows to indicate liquid flow pathsthrough the valve.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the valve, taken along line 5-5 ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of sealing closuremember.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now to the drawings,with emphasis first on FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown generally at 16 apreferred embodiment of a carburetor float valve in accordance with thisinvention, referred to hereinafter as valve 16, installed in a typifiedversion of a float chamber C of an automobile carburetor in operatingposition on a car and containing a body of gasoline fuel 46 which fillsit to the proper level therein. Except for valve 16, all parts of theillustrated float chamber and valve assembly are conventional. Floatchamber C comprises a fuel bowl 42, forming an integral part of acarburetor housing 52 which is shown fragmentarily in FIG. 1, and aportion of a removable cover 44 for the carburetor housing whichoverlies the fuel bowl, and seals the latter around the rim, wheninstalled in place, the cover being shown so installed in FIG. 2.

Mounted within float chamber C is a buoyant float member F, to which isattached a curved lever arm 10. The lever arm 10 is pivoted on a pivotpin 12 running transversely across the upper portion of fuel bowl 42 inthe manner illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The pin is supported at itsends in receptive indentations in the top of a pair of horizontal ribs14, integral with the side walls, and running upwardly from the bottom,of the bowl. One of these ribs is shown in front elevation, in itssubstantial entirety, in FIG. 2. Pivot pin 12 has rounded ends whichbear against the sidewalls of the fuel bowl, in the manner illustratedin FIG. 1, with sufficient frictional force to prevent vertical movementof the pin from its proper position during normal use and functioning ofthe carburetor incorporating float chamber C.

The float-lever arm pivot-pin assembly is, as previously indicated,merely representative of apparatus already well known in the carburetorart. Moreover, this assembly is mounted and functionally cooperativewith valve 16 similarly to the way it is mounted and cooperative with aconventional needle valve, although, as will be seen, much more precisecontrol of the fuel level in float chamber C is possible with valve 16than with a needle valve because of the unique manner of functioning andquick-acting response to fuel level changes of the former.

Fuel bowl 42 of float chamber C is connnected to a fuel line 40, runningfrom a fuel pump, not shown, by means of a fitting 41, in the mannerillustrated in FIG. 1. The fuel bowl is formed at one end to provide aninternally threaded socket 18, serving a purpose soon to be revealed,and a conduit 20, which is aligned with line 40 to permit theuninterrupted flow of fuel from the fuel pump into the conduit.

Valve 16 has an elongate body 22, with an upper segment of hexagonalcrossesectional periphery and a lower segment 23 of reducedcross-sectional size and round cross-sectional periphery. The lowersegment of the valve body is externally threaded to permit itsengagement with socket 18 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2. Valvebody 22 has a shoulder 54 separating its hexagonal upper segment andlower segment 23, and a gasket 50 is provided as a seal between thisshoulder and the rim around the top of socket 18, when the valve ismounted in the socket in the above-indicated manner, the

gasket being shown in its properly installed position in FIG. 2. As FIG.2 makes clear, the positioning of valve 16 in socket 18 as indicatedplaces the valve in the path of fuel flow from conduit 20 to floatchamber C for proper control of said flow in accordance with presentteachings.

Body 22 of valve 116 has an inlet fuel passageway 24, of round crosssection, running concentrically upwardly from the lower end of itsreduced segment 23, and a hollow 26, also of round cross section,running downwardly from a mouth, or opening, in its upper end. Theforegoing is couched in terms of reference to the valve positionillustrated in the drawing, which position will, for convenience ofdescription, be hereinafter assumed in the absence of any statement tothe contrary. It should however, be understood that the valve lendsitself to use in other positions, including the reverse of that shown inthe drawing, positions of horizontal orientation, etc., even morereadily than does the conventional needle valve whose use versatility inall such positions is well known.

The hollow 26 in valve body 22 is of substantially largercross-sectional diameter than the downstream end of fuel passageway 24,and is, similarly to the latter, disposed concentrically about the axisof the valve body, as the drawing well il lustrates. Passageway 24extends into hollow 26 through a necklike projection or tubularextension 28, integral with the bottom of the hollow at one end, whichterminates, at its other end, in a thin rim 31 encircling the downstreamopening of the passageway. This rim serves as a valve seat for a disc30, movably disposed within hollow 26, and will therefore be hereinafterreferred to as valve seat 31. The upper end of the necklike projectionis chamfered, as shown at 29, to achieve the thin valve seat rim aroundthe passageway 24 opening.

Captive within the hollow 26 of valve body 22 are the disc 30,previously referred to, and a ball 32, the disc being interposed betweenthe ball and valve seat 31 in a position of transverse orientationwithin the hollow, as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. Disc is moldedfrom a relatively soft, rubbery material possessed of sufficientresilience to engage valve seat 311, and close off the downstreamopening of passageway 24 (hereinafter referred to as the valve seatopening), against fuel passage, even in the presence of small dirtparticles, or the like, under the influence of relatively slightdownward pressure on its upper side. In addition to being adequatelyresilient for this purpose, the disc material should, of course, beresistant to the chemical, or other, action of any fuel with which itwill come into contact in use. Various known materials meet theserequirements, a preferred example of which l have found, fromexperience, to be Buna N, a synthetic rubber produced by thecopolymerization of butadiene and acrylonitrile. Other rubbery materialssuitable for the purpose are certain fluoroelastomer compositions, asexemplified by Viton A-HV and Viton A (these being the trade names ofcopolymers of hexafluoropropene and vinylidine fluoride manufactured byE. l. DuPont de Nemours & Co., lnc.), and Viton B, the trade name of aterpolymer of hexafluoropropene, vinylidine fluoride andtetrafluoroethylene (also manufactured by DuPont).

The disc 30 is sized to fit slidably within the lower portion of hollow26 in valve body 22. As the drawing makes clear, particularly in FIGS. 3and 4, the disc is positioned transversely within the hollow, and, aswill be seen, is permitted to move through a relatively short axialdistance therewithin. The disc is constrained to movement in itstransverse position within hollow 26 because of its limited freedom oftravel in, and a relatively close fit with the cylindrical wall of, saidhollow. in the latter connection, the clearance shown in the drawingbetween the peripheral edge of the disc and the defining wall of hollow26 is somewhat exaggerated for better illustrative effect. The preferredclearance between the disc and hollow wall is just sufficient to permitsubstantially frictionless sliding of the disc in the valve body,although greater clearances than this are pennissible within the scopeof my invention.

Ball 32 is preferably solid, and made of a hard material, such as, forexample, a suitable steel, or other metal, alloy, nylon or the like,substantially resistant to the chemical action of gasoline fuels. Valvebody 22 is likewise made of a suitably hard material, metallic orotherwise, substantially resistant to attack by such fuels. Preferably,the valve body is made of a suitable brass alloy, but other metals, ormetal alloys, known to those skilled in the art as acceptable for thepurpose, can be employed in lieu thereof, if desired. The class ofsuitable candidate materials for these parts is so well known to thoseskilled in the automotive, and related, arts, as to require no furtherdiscussion here.

As in the case of disc 30, the ball 32 is sized to fit slidably withinthe hollow 26 in valve body 22, except that it'fits in the upper, ratherthan the lower, portion of that hollow. The clearance between the ball32 and the wall of hollow 26 is exaggerated in the drawing, beingpreferably somewhat less than that shown, yet, as in the case of disc30, sufficient to permit substantially nonfrictional sliding movement ofthe ball within the valve body.

As the drawing shows, the upper portion of hollow 26 is of somewhatgreater cross-sectional diameter than its lower portion, the twoportions of the hollow being divided by a frustoconical segment 34 in anotherwise cylindrical wall. The upper portion of the hollow houses themajor part of ball 32, and the lower portion, of smaller diameter,houses the disc 30, whose upper limit of travel falls below thefrustoconical segment 34 of the hollow wall. This division of the hollowinto segments of differing cross-sectional diameter is for purposes ofdesign sophistication only, and the hollow could be of uniformcross-sectional diameter throughout its length, if desired, within thescope of the invention. Similarly, the inlet fuel passageway 24, runningupwardly through the lower portion of valve body 22, is divided intoupper and lower segments of differing cross-sectional diameter, althoughhere, the upper segment, rather than the lower one, as in the case ofhollow 26, is of the smaller size. The more restrictive (upper) segmentof passageway 24 terminates at valve seat 31, as will now be evident,where feed fuel for float chamber C leaves the passageway when the valveis in the open position.

FlG. 4 shows valve 16 in the open position, and as will be apparent,disc 30, although backed off only a short distance from its closedposition, offers no obstruction to the flow of fuel through thedownstream opening of passageway 24. ln fact, the instant disc 30 movesclear of valve seat 31, the entire opening of the passageway is clear topermit such fuel flow into hollow 26. Because of this instant openingfeature of my novel valve, fuel passageway 24 can be of relatively smallcross section at its discharge end, as opposed to the necessity for arelatively large opening in the discharge end of its counterpartpassageway in a conventional needle valve.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that the valve seat opening ofvalve 16 is substantially smaller than its opposite number in aconventional needle valve, a feature contributive to improved valveaction because of the lesser amount of force required to seal the valveseat opening against fuel pump pressures as a result of the smaller areafor such pressures to act across. As those skilled in the art willappreciate, this makes for significant improvementin valve response timeto changing float chamber fuel levels, and in valve effectivenessagainst leakage. While, for reasons valve designers can appreciate, theslightly necked-down version of the inlet fuel passageway exemplified bypassageway 24 is consistent with good valve design, this is not acritical feature of my invention. Accordingly, passageway 24 can be ofuniform diameter throughout, or otherwise shaped, so long as itsatisfactorily serves its intended purpose as taught herein. Aspreviously indicated, and FIG. shows to best effect, the upper portionof valve body 22 is hexagonal in cross-sectional periphery. Disposedequiangularly about the valve axis, are three bleed holes or outletports 36. These holes run perpendicularly through the valve body wall,just above the level of the bottom of hollow 26, their purpose being, asthe name implies, to permit divergent fuel flow from the valve body, assuggested by the directional arrows of FIG. 4, when the valve is in itsopen position. It will be understood, of course, that some of the fuel,instead of going through bleed holes 36, makes its way upwardly inhollow 26 and around ball 32, to exit from the mouth of the hollow, whenthe valve is open.

At it upper end, valve body 22 is chamfered around, and has an inturnedlip 37 defining, the mouth of hollow 26. This terminal configuration ispreferably achieved by beveling the upper end of the valve body untilthere is a relatively thin rim around the mouth of hollow 26, thenpeening the rim to form lip 37. The lip is formed to extend inwardly farenough to prevent the escape of ball 32 from hollow 26, yet permitsufficient freedom of movement of the ball within the hollow to allowvalve 16 to function in the manner taught herein.

As will now be apparent, valve 16 is urged to its closed position bypressure on ball 32 from lever arm 10 of the float member F when thefuel level within chamber C rises to a sufficient extent to warrant thisaction. As the fuel level drops, the float moves downwardly, and leverarm 10 swings in the clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2, andlessens its pressure on ball 32. When the level of fuel in the floatchamber drops to a sufficient extent to permit the valve to open, disc30 is forced upwardly, away from valve seat 31, by the fuel pres sure inpassageway 24, and fuel flows into float chamber C to raise the fuellevel therein. This fuel level is, of course, subject to constant fluxas fuel enters and leaves the float chamber during operation of itsembodying carburetor, the degree of flux, however, being held to aminimum by the quick responsiveness of valve 16 to small fuel levelchanges. in the latter connection, no means of fuel exit from floatchamber C is shown in the drawing because the particularly selectedviews of the chamber did not permit this, those skilled in thecarburetor arts are thoroughly familiar with such fuel exit means andthe present invention is not directly concerned with the outflowparticulars of a carburetor float chamber. The F IG. 4 view of the upperportion of valve 16, and a fragmentary portion of float lever arm 10 outof contact with the valve, shows an exaggerated separation of the leverarm and valve for purposes of more effective illustration, the floatlevel within flat chamber C being actually more controllable by valve 16than the position of the lever arm in FIG. 4 would indicate.

it will now be apparent that any valve closing force exerted on ball 32by lever arm 10 of float member F will, because of the shape of theball, and its snug fit within hollow 26 of the valve body, always betransmitted through the ball to the substantial center of disc 30. Thus,there is no chance for the ball or disc to become misaligned in such away as to improperly channel force from the float member lever arm, andthereby cause uneven sealing contact between the disc and valve seat 3lwith consequent danger of valve leakage similar to that which occurswhen the plunger of a conventional needle valve becomes misalignedwithin its housing during the relatively wide fluctuations betweenvalve-open and valve-closed positions to which it is subject in use. inthis connection, the relatively short ranges of travel of ball 32 invalve 16 makes it even less likely than would otherwise be the case,that either it or disc 30 could become stuck, or cocked, in the valvebody in such a way as to cause valve leakage, engine malfunctioning,

and/or other difficulties of the sort occasioned by the previouslymentioned plunger sticking, or cocking, tendencies of conventionalneedle valves.

The present invention has been described in considerable detail in orderto comply with Patent Office requirements for a full public disclosureof at least one of its embodiments. Such detailed disclosure 15 not,however, intended to correspondingly limit the scope of the patentmonopoly sought to be granted. Accordingly, while my novel valve hasbeen herein illustrated and described in what is considered to be apreferred embodiment, it is emphasized that departures may be madetherefrom within the scope of my invention. Certain of these departureshave already been mentioned, and others will occur to those skilled inthe art in the light of present teaching. Exemplary of the latter arenoncritical variations of the shapes of various parts, or features, ofthe valve; mere refinements of the illustrated valve design; etc. Morespecifically, examples of such modifications include changes in theshape of the outer periphery of the hexagonal portion of the valve body;changes in the cross-sectional shape of the inlet fuel passageway or theball-confining hollow of the valve body; the substitution of a rigid,but hollow, ball for 32; the substitution of a round resilient memberwith an encircling metal ring of C-shaped cross section for disc 30(such a substitute 38 for the disc being illustrated in FIG. 6 of thedrawing); etc. Other examples of valve modification within the scope ofmy invention could be enumerated, but the foregoing are believedadequately illustrative for present purposes.

While the above description has strongly emphasized the carburetor floatvalve applicability of my invention, it should not be forgotten that thevalve has, as previously noted, broader use potential than this, and canbe employed for whatever service its unique capability suits it. It isemphasized, in final summary, that the scope of the invention includesall of its variant forms encompassed by the language of the followingclaims.

l. in a liquid flow control valve:

a body having a cylindrical chamber therein;

an inlet passage having a port communicating with said cylindricalchamber substantially centrally of one end thereof;

means defining an annular valve seat around said port;

a circular disc of elastomeric material loosely slidable in said chambertoward and from said valve seat, the cylindrical wall of said chamberbeing imperforate and continuous throughout the range of slidingmovement of said disc;

a rigid ball loosely slidable in said chamber and engageable with saiddisc on the side thereof opposite said valve seat, a portion of saidball projecting through an open end of said chamber opposite said oneend; and

at least one outlet passageway communicating with said chamber at aposition axially displaced from said valve seat in a direction away fromsaid ball.

2. A valve as defined in claim I wherein said body is ad jacent acarburetor float chamber, said outlet passageway communicating with saidfloat chamber;

a float pivotally mounted in said float chamber and having an extendinglever portion engaging the portion of said ball projecting from saidcylindrical chamber.

3. A valve as defined in claim 1 including an inturned lip on said body,at its open end, to retain said ball in said cylindrical chamber.

4. A valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said valve seat comprises anannular projection extending axially from said one end of saidcylindrical chamber, there being an annular channel around saidprojection.

1. In a liquid flow control valve: a body having a cylindrical chambertherein; an inlet passage having a port communicating with saidcylindrical chamber substantially centrally of one end thereof; meansdefining an annular valve seat around said port; a circular disc ofelastomeric material loosely slidable in said chamber toward and fromsaid valve seat, the cylindrical wall of said chamber being imperforateand continuous throughout the range of sliding movement of said disc; arigid ball loosely slidable in said chamber and engageable with saiddisc on the side thereof opposite said valve seat, a portion of saidball projecting through an open end of said chamber opposite said oneend; and at least one outlet passageway communicating with said chamberat a position axially displaced from said valve seat in a direction awayfrom said ball.
 2. A valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said body isadjacent a carburetor float chamber, said outlet passagewaycommunicating with said float chamber; a float pivotally mounted in saidfloat chamber and having an extending lever portion engaging the portionof said ball projecting from said cylindrical chamber.
 3. A valve asdefined in claim 1 including an inturned lip on said body, at its openend, to retain said ball in said cylindrical chamber.
 4. A valve asdefined in claim 1 wherein said valve seat comprises an annularprojection extending axially from said one end of said cylindricalchamber, there being an annular channel around said projection.